Animal watering devices are used for watering animals. Devices of various sizes are known. For animal watering devices in sizes suitable for e.g. livestock, horses, pigs, and sheep, i.e. animal watering devices not particularly directed to pets, it is desirable that the watering devices are automatically refilled. Other functions such as automatic draining and automatic cleaning of the animal watering device may also be provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,587 discloses a self filling and self cleaning water fountain for bovine animals. Water is dispensed into a water tank of the fountain adjacent an upper edge of interior sides to wash the sides during each water fill operation. The washing water urges any sediment or debris adjacent the sides into the body of water, wherein it will settle on the bottom of the tank. The surface of the bottom undulates so as to urge the settled sediment and debris to accumulate in the troughs of the bottom surface, formed by the undulations. Each trough is drained via a separate drain through which the accumulated settled sediment and debris is exhausted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,363 discloses an automatic dispenser for providing animals with cool fresh liquid (e.g., water). The feeder has self-cleaning and self-refilling features that provide periodic replacement of hot, stale or dirty fluid with cool fresh refills. Solenoid valves are controlled by one or more liquid sensors, a time delay relay, timer and optional thermostat to provide flexibility and customizing of drain/refill cycles as desired in order to reflect varying ambient conditions in which the equipment is operated.
US 2008/257274 discloses a self-cleaning, water-saving automated animal watering device which includes a watering tank moveable between a lower, water-full condition and an upper, water-low condition. One end of the tank is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft, while the other end of the tank is biased upwardly via a lower lift spring. The device also has a water fill assembly operably coupled with tank to selectively fill the tank when needed, and a drain valve assembly also coupled with tank in order to completely drain the tank on a periodic basis. A control assembly is coupled with at least the tank and drain valve assembly, and is operable to actuate the drain valve assembly after a predetermined number of movements of the tank between the elevated and lowered positions thereof.
CN 201523595 U discloses an automatic portable watering trough, which comprises a power generating device. The power generating device provides energy to a pump for pumping water into a trough of the automatic portable watering trough. Also, the power generating device supplies electricity for daily life of herdsmen. It appears from drawings in the document CN 201523595 U that the power generating device may comprise a solar panel and/or a wind-powered generator.